December 15, 2011: The bipolar star-forming region, called Sharpless 2-106, or S106
for short, looks like a soaring, celestial snow angel. The
outstretched "wings" of the nebula record the contrasting imprint
of heat and motion against the backdrop of a colder medium. Twin
lobes of super-hot gas, glowing blue in this image, stretch
outward from the central star. This hot gas creates the "wings"
of our angel. A ring of dust and gas orbiting the star acts like
a belt, cinching the expanding nebula into an "hourglass" shape.